Meaning & use
crude
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Simple and rough, made without much skill or care.
Grammar: Comparative: cruder.
Patterns
- a crude tool
He built a crude shelter from branches.
The map was a crude sketch.
A crude estimate is enough.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Rude or vulgar in a way that offends people.
Grammar: Disapproving, about speech and humor.
Patterns
- a crude joke
He told a crude joke at dinner.
Her crude language shocked them.
The cartoon was crude.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
In a natural state, not yet refined or processed.
Grammar: Before a noun: crude oil.
Patterns
- crude oil
Crude oil is shipped to refineries.
Crude sugar is brown.
Crude materials were imported.
noununcountablebusiness
Petroleum that has not been refined.
Grammar: Uncountable: the price of crude.
Patterns
- a barrel of crude
Crude rose to ninety dollars a barrel.
The tanker carried crude.
Markets watched crude.
Word forms
| comparative | cruder |
|---|---|
| superlative | crudest |
Common combinations
- crude oil
- Crude oil prices rose.
- crude joke
- A crude joke.
- crude estimate
- A crude estimate says ten thousand.
- crude weapon
- A crude weapon made of stone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rough
- Rough is milder and general.
- vulgar
- Vulgar is stronger for offensive taste.
- raw
- Raw means unprocessed.
- primitive
- Primitive suggests very early development.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: crude or cruel?
crude vs cruel
Cruel means causing pain to others.
Practice
Crude oil is oil that is...
Choose one answer.
Crude means in its natural, unrefined state.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “crude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.